Why is Your Industry Being Redefined?

A Weekend That Kept CEOs Awake

Last Friday night, the CEO of a chain tea beverage brand sent me a message: "This year we opened 800 stores, but profits are lower than last year. What on earth is going on?" His confusion is not an isolated case. When the industry scale is still growing, but profits are collectively declining, the turning point of the trend has often quietly arrived.

Three Signals Behind the Data

We analyzed industry data from Q2 2023 to Q1 2024 and found three anomalous signals: First, the average order value of leading brands dropped by 15%, but member repurchase rate increased by 22%; Second, emerging brands, through scenario-based renovation, increased sales per square foot to three times that of traditional stores; Third, cross-industry competitors are entering in a "borderless" manner, capturing 12% of the market share in niche segments.

These signals collectively point to a core insight: consumers no longer pay for "products" but for "experiences" and "identity." When a milk tea shop starts selling trendy toys, and a gym becomes a social club, industry boundaries are dissolving.

Case Study: A Pet Supermarket Growing Against the Trend

A pet supermarket named "Mao Haizi" in Beijing, against the backdrop of overall industry decline, achieved monthly revenue of 2 million yuan per store, six times the industry average. Its secret is not selling pet food, but providing a one-stop service of "pet diagnosis + nutritional customization + growth records." Founder Li Ming said: "We sell not commodities, but the sense of security for pet owners." This case confirms the essence of the trend: from products to services, from transactions to relationships.

Three Postures to Embrace the Trend

Facing this change, enterprises can adopt three strategies: First, "cross-border integration," like the aforementioned pet supermarket, taking service experience to the extreme; Second, "data feedback," using user data for precise supply, for example, a sports brand that reverse-designs courses and equipment based on member sports data analysis; Third, "ecosystem co-building," jointly establishing standards with upstream and downstream partners and even competitors, such as the "Sustainable Packaging Alliance" launched by several FMCG companies, which reduces costs and enhances brand image.

Trends are not predicted, but created. When boundaries disappear, the only direction is to dig deep inward.

Conclusion

Back to the sleepless CEO, I suggested he first turn off the reports, go stand in a store for a day, and observe why customers linger at the trendy toy store next door after buying milk tea. When he realizes that what he sells is not a beverage but a lifestyle, a new growth curve will emerge. Industry trends are never an external force, but the redefinition of value within every participant's heart.